Planning has big problems. We think we've found a solution

2018-05-21T06:00:00

In an age of austerity, planning departments need all the help they can get. Lend them the best talent from the private sector, says Pooja Agrawal

Over the last few decades the architecture profession has seen its influence marginalised due to the growing complexity of the construction process and planning system, an increasingly commercially driven development sector, and a proliferation of other consultants.

Many of the most critical decisions about schemes – from the viability of providing affordable housing, to the amount of public space – are made without architects in the room.

As a result, the profession is often left in the position of reacting to ready-made briefs, rather than proactively anticipating and shaping new development. The result is a dilution of the quality of the built environment, with its social impact a secondary consideration.